


Green eyed monster

by Canadian_nights



Category: Cardinal (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Jealousy, Mild Gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:55:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,969
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26413753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canadian_nights/pseuds/Canadian_nights
Summary: Maybe it takes a little shove from a handsome stranger to bring these two together. A bit angsty, certainly a bit fluffy and hopefully a satisfactory bit of fluffy smut to conclude!
Relationships: John Cardinal & Lise Delorme, John Cardinal/Lise Delorme
Comments: 9
Kudos: 23





	1. Realisations

**Author's Note:**

> This has been playing on my mind all week distracting me from my other story. Just a shorter 2 shot. I quite like the idea of a grisly, possessive Cardinals eyes being opened.  
> Hope you enjoy..

It had taken him months to recover enough function to return back to work after the darkness he got lost in following Catherine’s death. There were still pretty rough days of self-hatred and guilt but the purpose he found catching the scum of the earth was a welcome distraction. This had always been his life. It broke his spirit sometimes but it was all he knew how to do well. Being part of the team, chasing down leads and keeping his mind occupied. That was why he was starting to wake up to life again, at least that was what he kept telling himself. Working with Lise, hearing her animatedly talk him through her thought processes, soaking up her smiles. That was just an added bonus, not the only reason he looked forward to getting up in the morning. Maybe if he kept telling himself he would start to believe it.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were working on a particularly gruesome case at the moment. The body of security guard had been found, semi decomposed in the corner of an underground parking lot with a deliberate crescent moon abdominal wound that caused most of his organs to unpleasantly spill across the concrete floor. It was a crime scene he wouldn’t forget in a hurry that still caused his stomach to churn at the thought. They had spent weeks chasing down dead-end leads, frustration building in the team. It was early summer in Algonquin Bay and the heat of the evenings along with the almost never ending light nights was causing everyone sleep deprivation, adding to the tension and making the office a particularly grumpy place to be. 

This was the first time he had met Detective James Ross. They had all been sat in the precinct when Dyson had walked him out of her office. There had been an identical body found under a bridge in Vancouver and DI Ross was the senior investigating officer on that case. He was going to spend a few weeks in Algonquin Bay to work through the similarities. Cardinal watched as Ross focused a Hollywood smile on Lise which reflexively caused him to crush down on the biro in his hand so hard that a shard of broken plastic drew blood in his palm. Ross was a handsome man, probably in his early forties with sandy hair and piercing pale blue eyes. He spoke with a Scottish twang clearly not native to Vancouver and gave off an air of cockiness that Cardinal already hated. This was going to be a long fortnight!

Sitting at his desk John watched over his computer as Detective Ross cornered Lise by the water cooler. His temperature rising as he noticed his hand unnecessarily touching her upper arm as he spoke. He was too enthusiastic and too close, needlessly close. What rattled him most though was why this was bothering him to the point he couldn’t concentrate on the list of car registrations he was supposed to be looking through from the parking lot where the body had been found. Trying to force his gaze on the screen he could feel his ears twitching at the sound of Lise’s laugh. He wasn’t sure why he was feeling so severely pissed off by his partner’s attention on this handsome younger detective. When Lise returned to her desk he could still see the faint trace of a smile on her lips which did nothing for his mood. 

It was a tense car journey as he and Lise drove out to question the owner of a van found near the crime scene who had a criminal record as long as his arm. There was suddenly a new friction between the two of them that he couldn’t quite put his finger on.

“What’s wrong John?” She asked her voice bemused but with a hint of irritation audible as her French accent came through thicker than normal. “You haven’t said a thing to me all afternoon. Have I done something?”

Struggling to find a response to the question he blew the breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding noisily out through his nose. He didn’t know why he was so irrationally angry at this attractive man suddenly invading the private space he enjoyed sharing just with her. He certainly didn’t have a sensible answer to her question, not one that didn’t make him look like a crazy old fool. 

“Nothing’s wrong Lise. I’m sorry for… I.. It’s just a pretty rough case I guess.” He replied softly, never quite managing to drag his eyes from the road as he spoke to catch her gaze. 

In the end it had been a fruitless two hour round drive and they hadn’t managed to shift the tension in the air by the time they returned to the precinct as people were starting to make their way home for the evening.

McLeod met them at the door as they walked through, his summer jacket already on. “We are taking DI Ross out for a welcome drink. The boss is paying! You guys coming?” 

Dyson had summoned him into her office before he could reply. 

“What is your problem today John?” her words holding more than an air of menace. “You are acting like he has stollen your favourite toy!”  
When he didn’t answer she continued her lecture. “He might be our best chance of catching this bastard and I won’t have whatever this is that you are working through obstruct this case. Do I make myself clear?”

Definitely unimpressed at getting a telling off like a naughty schoolboy he nodded his understanding, biting down on his back teeth to suppress any words he might regret. “You will just have to suck it up for a while and join us tonight, I don’t want him to think you have a problem.” 

That was clearly the end of that and he felt himself silently huff out of her office. Feeling the eyes of the room follow him as he headed to the bathroom to cool off. The cold light above the sink accentuated his lack of sleep as his creased forehead and dark tired eyes stared back from the mirror. He was kidding himself trying to suppress the warm feelings that he had developed for his partner over the last few months. He could no longer deny his growing attraction and the unnerving awakening within his cold and broken heart that he desperately wanted more with her than just friendship. He wanted to touch her, to hold her close and feel her warmth against his aching body.

Looking up at his reflection a sudden sadness hit him in the gut. He was kidding himself too if he thought she would be interested in anything like that with an old, troubled, grumpy fool like him. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Lise sat at the bar not sure if John would actually turn up. Already probably a bit too tipsy. She never really enjoyed forced socialisation with work colleagues and it had been a pretty surreal day all round. It was creeping up on 10pm and she was contemplating giving up on John and finding an excuse to go home and try and get a little sleep so she was refreshed for the weekend. Her eyes were focussed on the door, thinking of how she could slip away unnoticed, when Cardinal finally walked in. A sudden flutter danced in her chest as she saw him, a mix of happy surprise and an excitement she couldn’t explain. He looked a lot more handsome than usual. His dark hair was a little damp and ruffled, as if he had just run his fingers through it. The scuffyness gave him back the cute boyish charm she loved about him but that had been missing from his demeaner for too long. He was dressed differently too, in a dark blue shirt she didn’t recognise, the colour perfectly matching the highlights in his eyes. Maybe it was all the wine already consumed on an empty stomach but she was struggling to keep her eyes off him. 

Jolted suddenly from her trance, she nearly startled as Mcleod brought Ross over to sit in the spare seat beside her. The seat that her mind had already reserved for Cardinal. Her ears could hear the soft tones of James Ross’s words, his accent thicker with drink, but her brain wasn’t listening to what he was saying. Her conscious thoughts suddenly overwhelmed by the dark look on John’s face from across the bar – could he be jealous?

The thought made her stomach flip and something in her wine pickled mind made her decide to test things a little further as she let her body edge closer to James. He was a handsome man and certainly a good raconteur. In a different world she would probably have been quite flattered by his attentions. But there had only been one man that she had wanted, for longer than she cared to admit, and up until very recently he had been very unavailable. Maybe emotionally he still was, but maybe just maybe something had changed. 

Listening intently as James recounted a story about how he had singlehandedly taken down an armed gang leader she was impressed at her own ability to ooh and ahh believably. His story was wearing a bit thin and she wasn’t as enthralled by him as she was letting on. Pushing her feigned flirtation as far as she dared to see how John reacted.

Her familiarity with him meant that she smelt him before she noticed how close he had gotten. The reassuring clean masculine scent she loved was accentuated by the fact he was clearly not long out of the shower when he arrived at the bar. The heat of John’s body was too close for her to concentrate anymore on what Ross was saying. Then, when she felt her senses couldn’t possibly get any more overwhelmed, she felt his strong hand rest against her lower back, his fingers splaying out possessively, burning into the skin beneath the thin silky fabric of her shirt as he spoke. His voice deep and huskier than normal.

“John Cardinal. I see you have met my partner.” He didn’t quite mean for his words to sound so possessive, not sure that Lise would approve of the suggestion that she was his. But his blood was boiling and he didn’t really care. Almost reluctantly he extended his free hand to Ross. “I don’t believe we have been properly introduced.”

His height massively overwhelmed the stature of Ross and her heart was thudding in her chest at this very primal display of masculine pride. There was definitely something in the way he had said ‘my partner’ that made her breath catch. It definitely wasn’t just the wine. Neither was it the wine that was turning her legs to jelly as his fingers gently played against her ribs whilst he engaged a now slightly terrified looking James Ross in a typical cardinal interrogation. 

The events hadn’t gone unnoticed by Dyson.


	2. Confessions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Has John been pushed far enough to admit how he feels? Will there be lots of angst and fluff?? Of course!!! I'm quite enjoying a John who takes a bit more control than maybe his character usually does but hopefully doesn't step too far from his inner struggles to be unrealistic.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So transitioning back from night shifts on call to days has left my sleep pattern insane and therefore this is a lot longer than I initially planned and will be a 3 part as well instead of 2 because well it turns out I can't write short and there was just too much emotional fluff that seems to happen when I write about these two! And well it seems wrong to not leave adequate time for some Cardilorme smut at the end... he definitely isn't a man to rush such a moment :p .... sorry though you might need to wait for that a little longer.....

Somehow everyone had made it through to closing time and as a result most of the team had drunk more than was wise, with the exception of the boss whose detective instincts were on alert at the shifting dynamics within her colleagues tonight. Dyson had always wondered about Cardinal and Delorme. They were her best detectives partly because of the intense trust and shared respect they had for each other. She had watched them grow as professionals; Cardinal a battle hardened, instinctive cop with a work ethic that bordered on unhealthy and Lise a thorough, rational and highly intelligent but less experienced detective who had quickly excelled in her change in career. She wasn’t blind either to their progress as people in each other’s company. From less than easy beginnings they seemed to feed off each other, growing stronger and closer, and in John happier, so much happier. Since he had come back from compassionate leave Dyson had been quietly aware of lingering looks and secret smiles between the pair that maybe only she had noticed. They were professionals towing the very strict line of duty, she had no concerns about that. Until today that is. She couldn’t miss the look in Cardinal’s eyes at the bar or the way he had grilled poor Detective Ross, all the while ensuring his body physically shielded Lise from any advances from the younger officer. He was riled, that was for sure, and she would need to keep a close eye on what developed here on in. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

McLeod had grabbed the attention of Ross, reading the tension to his left, he had wisely decided to offer to get him a cab back to his rented apartment which he rushed to accept.

The bar had gradually emptied around Lise and John without either really noticing, too caught in each other’s presence as they silently finished the last of their drinks. A few stragglers at the pool table were the only other people left around them. As the lights came on, signalling the staff's desire to close up, John noticed his hand was still touching Lise. Suddenly feeling self-conscious he quickly let it drop to his side.

“I think I might have had a few too many tonight.” There was an undertone of embarrassment in his voice as he spoke softly, a stark contrast to his earlier bravado. “I can’t remember the last time I was out the house after dark, maybe I got a bit carried away.” His voice trailed off as he lost the ability to hold her eye contact. 

“You are not the only one.” Her voice was husky and she was really struggling to stop herself looking up at him with hungry desire. 

Oblivious to the activity around about and with neither making any effort to move they had needed to be ushered out onto the street. The warm night air a pleasant contrast to the stuffy bar. It was quiet as they stood illuminated under the warm glow of a streetlight, unfinished business still heavy in the air as they waited on a cab. 

“You certainly have a fan in our new Scottish friend. I’m sorry if I.. If I interrupted something earlier.” His words didn’t sound the least bit apologetic though and he desperately needed to know what was going on in her head. “Are you.. I mean…do you like him?” The words hung in the air between them, his meaning crystal clear.

“What would you think if I did John?” her words came out seductively, deliberately toying with him and hating herself a bit for it. She didn’t like to see him in distress but he was a man of so few words and she had to know what was going on in his mind. Tipsy with false confidence her words continued, “he is a handsome man with a lovely accent, I’m flattered by his attention.”

She watched as he swallowed. His jaw taut and teeth clenched as he said nothing but held her gaze with such intensity she could barely breathe.  
The strong dominant façade of the bar had deserted him as they stood alone. She made him so vulnerable and terrified. Terrified that if he told her how she made him feel, what he wanted from her, that she would turn him down and he would lose everything. 

Finally he broke the silence. His words rumbling and thick. “I wouldn’t like it if you said you did Lise. I.. I didn’t like the way he looked at you...the way he touched you.” 

Moving closer she let her hand rest against his arm as she reached her lips up to kiss the flush that had crept onto his cheek before whispering against his ear. “You don’t need to worry John he’s not really my type. There’s someone else I’d much rather have touching me.”

The horn of their taxi shocked them apart like guilty children. The magic of the moment was broken and they travelled in silence to Lise’s apartment. The ramblings of the driver, which neither was listening to, doing nothing to break the tension. His palms were clammy and he wasn’t sure what to do when they arrived. Lise was looking at him willingly but his mouth was dry and he couldn’t speak. Then he saw a flash of disappointment cloud her face, “I’ll see you tomorrow then John, get home safe.” And she was gone, jumping out of the cab and sucking all the air out of his chest with her.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He sobered up quickly in the apartment, furious with himself for letting her get out of the taxi without telling her what he wanted to say. Her last words to him had filled him with so much hope and he had bottled it. Lying in his empty bed staring at the ceiling his head was awash with images of her. He remembered the first time he had seen her, when his heart had skipped a beat at his instant attraction, his stubborn resolve refusing to engage with her. Then everything about Lise had worked its way through his protective barriers into first his trust and partnership, then his friendship. He had been a married man when he knew that the truth was, at least for him, that what they shared transcended just friendship. He had grown to feel things for Lise that he didn’t feel for his wife anymore, maybe he had never truly had that exhilarating connection with Catherine. He couldn’t remember ever, even at the beginning, feeling such a draw like he had to Lise as though his body could catch fire from a mere look. It rattled him to think about it, flooding him with guilt. That was partly why he sunk to such a dark place after she died. Worried he had already given away his heart to the warmth and pure happiness he felt with Lise and neglected his wife before her death. 

Abandoning the hope of sleep he pulled his weary body up to sit on the edge of the bed, running his fingers frustratedly through his hair before pulling on his jeans and a baggy jumper. He didn’t know what exactly he would be able to offer Lise or how much of himself he had left to give. But he wanted to try, he needed to try. He was fed up of feeling lonely and full of regret. If Catherine’s death had showed him anything it was that life could be cruelly short. 

It had been an earth-shaking realisation over the last 24 hours that he couldn’t stomach the thought of someone else touching her, kissing her and taking a place in her heart. His place. If he didn’t go and tell her now, maybe he never would. So, he found himself standing on her doorstep at 3 am with the summer sun already creeping up to start the day around him. 

“John!” The shock in her voice was clear as she opened the door. “What are you doing her at this time? Are you alright?”

He could only nod as she stepped back into the light of the room to allow his imposing frame to fit onto the landing. That was when he noticed how little she was wearing. It was a hot night and he had obviously woken her from bed when he knocked. He could do nothing to stop his hungry eyes darting over the thin camisole nightshirt which clung to her warm damp skin, accentuating the curves he had only seen in his dreams. Her long legs bare beneath it. Fuck she was beautiful. 

He followed her silently up the stairs trying desperately to maintain his gaze anywhere but on the curve of her bottom as the sheer material rose with each step she took. When they reached the alcove of her sitting area the realisation that she was barely dressed suddenly hit her and she self-consciously wrapped a blanket around her shoulders. 

He closed the space between them so that he was so near he could feel her rapid breath against his neck. Reaching out a shaky hand to grasp hers before he finally spoke. 

“Lise. What I should have said earlier.. What I wanted to say… to tell you is that...” He stopped for a moment to look deeply into her dark eyes. “I want to be the one to make you smile, to make you laugh. I want to be able to hold you, to kiss you, to make you as happy as you deserve. If you’ll let me I will try with everything I have to be a better man, because you make me want to live again Lise. I need you in my life for as long as you’ll have me. I was just too stubborn or maybe too stupid to see it.”

All she could do was nod, tears stinging at her eyes and rolling down her cheeks at hearing the words she had wanted him to say for so long. His lips closed the gap to softly kiss her tears away, the salty moisture mixed with her soft sweet skin tasted wonderful on his tongue. Then her lips found his and he fell into oblivion. Every nerve ending in his body on red alert. The warm sensation of her fingers, which had found their way up to run through his hair, had made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. And to be honest they weren’t the only part of him standing to attention. 

“Fuck I want you Lise” he mumbled against her mouth, in between crushing kisses. “Unless you want to stop can we take this to the bedroom, I’m not sure my back can cope with your tiny sofa!” 

Feeling her smile against his mouth he let her lead him by the hand to her bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well we all know where this is going...................


	3. Release

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well there was only one place that this could go from here... and well I hope you enjoy.

In every dream he had had of this moment, and dear God there had been many in the last few months, he had been slow and gentle and attentive not wanting to wake up and end the fantasy. Somehow though the reality of having her in his arms, so warm and soft and responsive, had ignited a desperate need which surged through his veins. All thoughts of taking his time were lost, he needed all of her. Already feeling so aroused meant every touch of her lips, her fingers, her tongue against him felt like a flame licking against his flesh. He hadn’t even seen what was underneath her skimpy nightwear yet and he could already feel his erection protesting against his jeans. This was insane, he wasn’t a teenage boy, he shouldn’t be so undone by what was essentially second base. This woman was going to kill him and he would happily sell his soul to the devil right about now. 

This was turning out to be the best 3am wake up call she had ever had. Her mind and heart already so overcome by his words. And now…now her body was the part of her being overwhelmed. She, for all of her inner fantasies, did not know John could kiss like this. His mouth so warm and hungry against her, his clever tongue soft and teasing as he explored her own. There was an electric urgency about him which aroused but never overpowered her. He tasted so good too, a hint of fresh minty toothpaste still lingered in his mouth, but mainly he just tasted of John and she knew she would never tire of him. 

No longer able to keep his hands to himself he let his fingers blindly grasp at the hem of her nightshirt, pulling it urgently over her head. His breath about halting at the sight of her pale creamy skin and perfectly proportioned breasts. “Beautiful, so beautiful” he murmured, in true awe. Lise didn’t give him time to revel in the view for long though, tugging at his jumper and t-shirt as he obligingly lifted his arms, helping her strip him naked above the waist. Any lingering anxiety that his body might not be quite so much of a turn on for her was quickly extinguished as he revelled in the look of hunger in her eyes, her delicate fingers brushing against his length as she fumbled to get his jeans off him. Then it was just two thin layers of cotton between then as he crushed her against him, his erection twitching against her stomach, whilst his strong arms gently eased her down onto the bed. 

The urgency in both their actions was palpable. His hot wet lips tasting and teasing the damp skin of her neck, grazing his teeth along the curve of her breast, her goose-bumps tickling against his tongue as it traced a path. She tasted like vanilla mixed with fresh citrus and he couldn’t get enough. The sound of her mews when his mouth sucked her nipple between his lips, teasing down on her sensitive nub gently with his teeth, ignited a primal need within him that he didn’t know he possessed, his hips instinctively jerking into her soft body. 

“I need you…. now John. I can’t wait any longer to …. feel you.” Her words coming out in short broken sounds between breathless sighs. The heightened desire harshening her accent. He agreed completely with her sentiment, pulling the remaining fabric from between them, encouraged further by her wetness against his fingers as she shifted beneath him to accommodate his body where she needed it. For Lise the sensation of joining together caused tears of pure emotion to sting her eyes, she truly loved this man and the intimacy of feeling him fill her so completely whilst hearing his breath catch in his throat as he murmured how much he wanted her was overwhelming. The sensation so perfect as they rocked urgently against each other meant it didn’t take long for them to reach their shared climax. The feel of his warm release against her spasming walls, as she was coming down the most intense orgasm of her life, caused her fingertips to scrape into his firm arse, holding him against her as he came hard. 

“Bah... How did we wait so long to do that?” she teased, still panting. He could only smile, still in the throes of complete ecstasy, as he rolled their connected bodies gently over so he could cradle her against him without crushing her under his limbs, which had turned to jelly.  
It was the best few hours sleep he had experienced in years. His usually anxious mind and aching body comforted by her warm reassuring presence. Then her alarm jolted them both awake causing him to protectively tighten his grip on her waste. Stretching she turned in his arms, her sleepy flushed face so beautiful he almost had to pinch himself to prove that this wasn’t all just a dream. 

“Morning sweetheart.” The words leaving his sleepy love-struck mouth before he knew what he was saying. Quickly followed by a fleeting look of panic which crossed his face in fear they might not be on the same page this morning. 

He needn’t have worried about his sentimentality though, judging by the beaming smile looking back at him as she leaned forward placing the softest of kisses to his lips then the tip of his nose. “Bonjour mon Coeur.” 

“Are you hungry John?” she asked as a playful smile danced across her expression, reigniting his desire. 

Rolling so that he could look down at her face, his body hovering above her tiny frame and pressing against her just enough to ensure she could clearly feel his hard desire for her. “Yes very..” he growled as his mouth crushed against her grin. “Just not for breakfast.”  
And this time he made love to her slowly and carefully, savouring every moment. 

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They hadn’t made it out of bed for most of the weekend. There was after all, a lot of lost time to make up for. It’s amazing what 48 hours could do to a person, he had thought, as he lay with his head in Lises’ lap on Sunday night. His long legs dangling over the end of her little sofa as her fingers played through his hair. The weight of the world felt like it had been lifted off his chest. 

Returning to work on Monday morning with such a wonderful secret was unnervingly thrilling. He had even felt a bit sorry for Ross after watching him physically flinch at his appearance whilst Lise had been explaining details of the victim to the west coast detective at his desk. He couldn’t deny the tiny part of pure caveman in him though, that felt good to have won the girl. His girl. He also wasn’t naïve enough to not admit to himself that he had a lot to thank Detective Ross for too. He had obliviously changed his life forever, so much more than he would ever know.  
After that briefest moment of tension, they had managed to maintain strict professional boundaries in the office. Saving all the pent-up physical energy for nightly mind-blowing sex. He literally had no idea where he had found the stamina. 

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the end the case wrapped up pretty quickly. Ross had linked a long-distance truck driver who was registered to stopover in both of the respective cities at the time of each murder. They had discovered the suspect had been at school with both the victims. The motive an apparent prank gone wrong some 20 years previous. 

“Cardinal, Delorme can I see you both for a moment?” The tell-tale tone of Dyson’s voice told them this wasn’t a social chit chat. They had a big decision to make about what to tell the boss as she called them into her office…..

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Much as I think Cardinal would make a pretty soft sensitive lover I kinda enjoyed writing him fired up, taking control and not being so anxious and self deprecating. I hope it kept true enough to the characters too.


End file.
